The Las Tunas branch of the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) held its 4th Congress Assembly with the presence of cultural, political, and governmental authorities of the territory and the nation; an appointment that embraced the analysis of different tasks from a critical and constructive perspective.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Actress Leonor Pérez Hinojosa, for example, referred to how -despite the difficult infrastructural conditions of the theater facilities in the Balcón de Oriente (Eastern Cuban Balcony)- creation has not stopped and alternatives have been sought to bring decorous artistic proposals to the audience. She exemplified the Los Zahoríes Pupets Company, which has had to change its aesthetics and adapt works to public spaces, with good reception.

Writer Alejandro Rama suggested the possibility of increasing the amount of copyright payment to be considered, taking into account the time and effort of writers to give life to a work. Meanwhile, Armando López Carralero announced that a poetry anthology of young writers from Las Tunas is already in the hands of publishers, which will be featured by “Sanlope,” and will contribute to making visible their creation.

Visual artist Luis Antonio González Rodríguez expressed his concern about the insufficient number of members of the Visual Arts section in the Las Tunas guild and raised the need to look for alternatives to face the lack of materials that affect their work.

Likewise, singer-songwriter Amaury del Río raised his concern about the insufficient attention given to young troubadours in the province about hiring and programming, a reason that has demotivated some colleagues and fueled the exodus.

Directors of different institutions responded to the concerns. However, once the interventions were heard, Rafael González Muñoz, national president of the youth artistic vanguard, emphasized the need for greater institutional and governmental support for creative processes, the importance of alliances to make better use of spaces and achieve results, the wisdom of making optimal use of the budget, taking into account the hierarchies in the sector, and how essential it is to review the Cultural Development Program with the participation of creators.

The leader of the AHS in the nation also recognized the potential of young artists from Las Tunas, especially in literature and theater, as well as the joy of having a Symphony Orchestra in the territory.

“We have to evolve in terms of management. You have to go to the different spaces, including those of the non-state sector, to expand the programming. You have to take care of the budget; decisions are made collectively. Institutions have to think about how to better serve our artists, know how the state of creation is going and what are the projections. The dialogue must be systematic; we must add people and achieve greater participation in spaces,” said Lizette Martínez Luzardo, general director of Cultural Policies of that sector Ministry.

At the close of the meeting, Ana Margarita Arada Clavería, and Jesús Ricardo Pérez Cecilia were ratified as president and vice president, respectively, of the organization in the province. Marcos García Valera was also elected as a vice president.

Likewise, the delegation that will represent the province in the 4th Congress of the AHS was presented, which will take place next October. They are Ana Margarita, Jesús Ricardo, Leonor Pérez and Amaury del Río.

In general, those present agreed that it was a fruitful and analytical assembly, which left several reflections to encourage action.